


The edge of the abyss

by strawberriesandtophats



Series: Disaster Management has always been their forte [2]
Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Coffee, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-24 14:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7512353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberriesandtophats/pseuds/strawberriesandtophats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Relationships were fragile things, Thursday knew, and should be treated as such. Especially in times like these, where the next copper could betray you on the drop of a hat. Maintaining the good relationships one had, even if they might fade away eventually for various reasons, was essential for one’s health and safety. Thursday watched Bright’s back and his small movements as he tidied up. Neither of them had been trained to deal with something like this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The edge of the abyss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theCopperCow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theCopperCow/gifts).



When Inspector Thursday stepped into the staff room in the station he was not expecting to see Superintendent Bright standing there with a look of intense focus on his face while brewing coffee. Thursday had just been on his way to get some tea. The room was bathed in the sort of silver light that only belonged to summer nights. The light reflected on Bright’s glasses as he continued to stare at the coffeemaker. The room was warm and inviting, filled with the aroma of expensive coffee and crappy tea. The radio was on, the volume low and he could hear Bright humming along absentmindedly.

The officers were already gone, except Morse and Jakes who were still working at their desks. He could hear the sound of the typewriter and pages rustling even from inside the doorway. Jakes was telling Morse some kind of an amusing story, no doubt grinning at his colleague as he spoke.

“All is well, Thursday?” Bright asked, already taking an extra mug out of one of the cupboards. His tone was absentminded, his eyes still trained on the pot of coffee in front of him as if waiting for it to crack under the pressure of his silent interrogation and hand over secrets. “It has been quite an eventful day.”  
“Yes, sir,” Thursday heard himself saying, opening another cupboard and rummaging a bit inside before he found the bag of homemade chocolate biscuits he’d stashed away earlier today. Bright’s coffee was so strong, he knew from experience, that the spoon had to fight to sink into the liquid. It was only right to have something sweet to accompany such a drink. “Another case solved, and Jakes and Morse are finally getting along.”

Bright was still looking at him as if evaluating his response. Then Bright nodded as he began fussing with the mugs. A bag of hideously expensive coffee was placed against the woven basket that usually contained cheap biscuits. Thursday shook his own packet of chocolate biscuits so that a few slide out and onto the small dish in his hands. He placed the dish on the worn and frayed tablecloth and sat down at the table. 

“It is important for both of them to have the support of people in their lives. They’ve both had some troubling experiences lately, after all.” Bright said, pouring coffee into the bigger mug and handing it to Thursday. 

Thursday could hear chairs being moved about in the other room, and Morse’s muffled laughter. He’d seen the look in their eyes when they thought no one was watching them, walking side by side in an ancient hallway while they were investigating a case a few weeks back. Thursday hadn’t missed the way they’d stand just a fraction to close to each other or how their eyes lit up when the other one was in the same room. They were careful when around other officers, keeping a safe distance from each other and only talking about safe topics like work and current events. He’d heard them argue about the merits of various detective novels earlier today.

The important thing was that they had managed to come across as friendly colleagues to the majority of experienced Inspectors up until this point in time. But he’d seen this whole song and dance before. Other police officers had fallen in love before, right in front of him and most of them had managed to keep it secret or broken it off before they’d gotten in too deep.  
At least Morse and Jakes had somehow been able to keep the truth hidden from someone like Bright, who was humming an old love song under his breath and placing his own coffee mug on the table. Bright turned the radio off, his motions deliberate as he pushed the button as if he’d made a decision.

Relationships were fragile things, Thursday knew, and should be treated as such. Especially in times like these, where the next copper could betray you on the drop of a hat. Maintaining the good relationships one had, even if they might fade away eventually for various reasons, was essential for one’s health and safety. Thursday watched Bright’s back and his small movements as he tidied up. Neither of them had been trained to deal with something like this. Well, at least not officially.  
The front door of the station slammed behind Jakes and Morse, who headed into the night. For a brief moment, there was absolutely no sound within the station. Thursday tried not to wheeze, trying to preserve this flicker of peace in the world.

“They would be slaughtered if the wrong person would find out about them,” Bright said slowly, as if the words were wrenched from his mind. “It’s not the first time something like this has happened and ended badly. If just one officer tells one of our superiors about their situation, we’d have to guard them personally from one of our own being ordered to get rid of them using whatever measures considered necessary to do so. And Morse is already on thin ice with quite a few influential people.”

“Sir-“ Thursday said, his heart thumped painfully and his mind reeling at the idea of a man like Bright reacting like this. His fingertips had become numb as the man in front of him adjusted his glasses. “You must understand that they-“ he continued, hearing the wariness in his own voice.

“I am not blind, Inspector,” Bright said and sat down on the other side of the table.”There is no use in trying to frantically make up some lie to protect Sergeant Jakes and Constable Morse. We are both on the same side here.”

Bright was an ambitious man, who had worked hard to get to his position. Thursday had seen with his own eyes that he had a tendency to believe that there was a reason the ones in charge were in power. But there seemed to have changed when he’d seen the effects of the Blenheim Vale case on his men. 

“It would ruin both of our careers if we’d be found protecting them because of this,” Thursday pointed out. His chest felt heavy and he closed his eyes. He didn’t know how much time he had left on active duty, and being forced to leave his position would make the young men far more vulnerable without him keeping a close eye on them. “I’m still recovering from that blasted-“

"And I am past my prime,” Bright said, his tone sharp. “There is no knowing how long we’ll last on the force during times like these when it seems that it is every man for himself. They won’t be able to touch Morse and Jakes as long as we are around, yes?”

“It would be a significant bump in the road for those who intend to hurt them, sir.”

"Still, let them try to get rid of us, hmm?” Bright said, with a faint smile on his face. His eyes were gleaming in the fading light. Bright raised his mug of coffee in the air, steam curling towards the ceiling.

“Come what may,” Thursday said, lifting his mug of coffee and clinking it against Bright’s mug. They both grinned at each other and took at sip of coffee that was so strongly brewed that Thursday suspected that if he’d upend the mug the coffee wouldn’t budge for a few seconds.

**Author's Note:**

> The second part of a series unofficially titled: 'Accepting!Bright Universe.'
> 
> Inspired by the extremely strong coffee that is commonly served in Icelandic staff rooms.


End file.
